1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transport belt which can be used on machines for producing a fiber material web, such as paper or paperboard for example, for the forwarding of such fiber material web or the starting material therefor. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a transport belt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transport belts are used for example on paper machines to pick up paper or the starting material therefor and move it through various processing stations such as press stations for example. Above all on the way through press stations or press nips, liquid is pressed out of the web material to be processed and then collects in the region of the surface of the transport belt on which the web material is being transported. In order to create, in the region of this surface, bulk in which this liquid, generally water, can be picked up and then dispersed from the web material, it is known to construct this surface of a transport belt on the web material side with depressions, for example groove or flute-like depressions. In addition to creating the required bulk for picking up the liquid, the provision of such depressions also has the advantage of making it easier for the transport belt to be released from the web material.
In the production process for such web material, for example paper or paperboard, liquid gradually collects, throughout the time in which such a machine is in operation, not only in the region of the surface of a transport belt on the web material side but also on the rear side, meaning on a machine-side surface of the transport belt, together with impurities contained in said liquid, generally particles from the starting material of the web material. Hence there is a risk of the frictional contact of a transport belt with the rollers driving said belt being impaired. Slip can thus arise, with the disadvantageous effect that the defined forward movement of the transport belt required for the production of the web material is interrupted at least briefly.
A known method of counteracting this is, for example, to provide cleaning stations which are assigned to said transport belt and clean its front side, meaning the surface on the web material side, and its rear side, meaning the machine-side surface, and remove any liquid and impurities collecting there.
What is needed in the art is a transport belt for a machine for producing web material and a method for producing such a transport belt, with which belt and method it is possible in easy and reliable manner to ensure a sound and slip-free driving contact of the transport belt with rollers or the like which drive said belt to move.